nmake

NMake is a Windows-oriented implementation of the make utility from Microsoft. It reads a makefile that describes file dependencies and the commands needed to build targets, and then executes those commands to produce executables and libraries. It is primarily used with C and C++ projects on Windows and is designed to work with the Microsoft toolchain and Visual Studio development environments.

NMake originated in Microsoft's development tools many years ago and has long been shipped with Visual Studio and the Windows SDK. It provides a Windows-compatible alternative to Unix make and is designed to work with Microsoft's compilers, linkers, and environment variables. Makefiles used with NMake are commonly named NMakefile or Makefile, and a file can be specified explicitly with the /f option.

A NMake makefile describes targets and the commands used to build them. A typical rule takes the form "target: dependencies" and is followed by one or more commands, usually indented by a tab. Variables are defined with VAR = value and referenced as $(VAR). NMake supports includes and basic variable substitution, along with simple conditional and automatic variables within the constraints of its dialect.

To invoke NMake, run the nmake command in a command prompt in the directory containing the makefile, or use "nmake /f Makefile" to specify a particular file. A specific target can be supplied as an argument, for example "nmake all". Some projects rely on NMake as part of the build process within Visual Studio or the Windows development workflow.

Limitations include its dialect differences from GNU make. NMake is not fully compatible with many GNU makefiles and is tailored to Windows tooling. For cross-platform or modern workflows, alternatives such as CMake with MSBuild or GNU Make may be preferred.